Citizens, candidates discuss sheriff’s campaign ad

Published: Sunday, February 16, 2014 at 12:00 PM.

A sentence in an ad in The Daily News by Onslow County Sheriff Ed Brown has triggered dialogue about the role of law enforcement.

The full-page ad published in The Daily News Feb. 2 by Brown in support of his bid for re-election shares his views on faith and the role of law enforcement, among other topics.

“Those in the Law Enforcement Profession have complete Power and Authority over You, Your Life, Your Family, Your Loved Ones, Your Rights, Your Freedom, Your future, and Everything Precious to Life,” according to Brown’s ad.

To Robert Lenn, the statement raised a red flag.

“It’s kind of scary for someone in law enforcement to say something like that,” Lenn said. “No one has complete authority like that over anyone or anything. It’s scary for any law enforcement official to say that, much less the head law enforcement officer in the county.”

Lenn, a 55-year-old nurse living in Jacksonville, said he acknowledges that certain laws are in place to keep citizens safe and retain order. Lenn considers himself a libertarian who values privacy and believes the sentiment in Brown’s ad does not follow suit.

In a statement, Brown said his words were taken out of context, explaining that law — which he says includes lawmakers, the court system and law enforcement — covers and protects every part of a person’s life.

A sentence in an ad in The Daily News by Onslow County Sheriff Ed Brown has triggered dialogue about the role of law enforcement.

The full-page ad published in The Daily News Feb. 2 by Brown in support of his bid for re-election shares his views on faith and the role of law enforcement, among other topics.

“Those in the Law Enforcement Profession have complete Power and Authority over You, Your Life, Your Family, Your Loved Ones, Your Rights, Your Freedom, Your future, and Everything Precious to Life,” according to Brown’s ad.

To Robert Lenn, the statement raised a red flag.

“It’s kind of scary for someone in law enforcement to say something like that,” Lenn said. “No one has complete authority like that over anyone or anything. It’s scary for any law enforcement official to say that, much less the head law enforcement officer in the county.”

Lenn, a 55-year-old nurse living in Jacksonville, said he acknowledges that certain laws are in place to keep citizens safe and retain order. Lenn considers himself a libertarian who values privacy and believes the sentiment in Brown’s ad does not follow suit.

In a statement, Brown said his words were taken out of context, explaining that law — which he says includes lawmakers, the court system and law enforcement — covers and protects every part of a person’s life.

Brown says he has “searched every imaginable thought” to find an aspect of life to which law does not apply and said he could not.

Lenn countered that what he read spelled out a clear message.

“I’m not taking it out of context,” Lenn said. “Those are his own words and they are pretty basic. When they say they have complete power and authority, that means 100-percent full power.”

However, Rose Ivers, who has lived in Onslow County for more than 40 years and says she’s followed Brown’s career since his days as Jacksonville Police Department officer said the comments, though they “gave her pause,” didn’t change her appreciation for the sheriff and the job he does.

“His comments didn’t bother me one bit,” Ivers said. “I knew he wasn’t going to come into my house and take everything. I’m not sure what he meant by the statement, but I feel like we’re in a safe situation. I feel our community is very safe.”

Gerry Theirault of Swansboro said he liked the ad Brown released, saying he “knew what (Brown) meant” when Brown said law enforcement had “complete power and authority” over citizens.

“He has a very powerful position,” Theirault said. “Police officers can stop you if they have reasonable cause ... They can ask you to get out of your car, they can handcuff you to protect themselves. They have a lot of power over your life. If you’re in a dangerous situation, your life is in their hands. That’s a big responsibility and a very powerful position.”

Scott Himes, a former sheriff’s deputy planning to run for the sheriff’s office as a Democrat, said the article displayed Brown, a Republican, in a “dictatorial” light and said Onslow County citizens should be concerned about a man who said he has that kind of authority over the lives of others.

“I’m not here to blow him up, but should Onslow County fear this man? Absolutely,” Himes said. “He says (he) meant something different, but that’s not what the citizens took it as. When I’m elected sheriff, I will uphold the constitution, state and local laws, but I’m not going to follow you around and tell you what to do.”

Hans Miller, who is running for the Republican nomination for sheriff, said he was “disappointed” in the ad’s contents and disagrees with the philosophy displayed in Brown’s ad on the power of law enforcement.

“It bothers me that any law enforcement officer assumes that he has that kind of power over law-abiding citizens,” Miller said, calling Brown both a friend and “brother in Christ.”

“I’m of the understanding that our country belongs to the people and the people elect representatives that go to Raleigh and Washington D.C. To create laws we live under. As a law enforcement officer, we enforce laws that were created by the people and their representatives.”

In his statement, Brown said some people will read something into an article that isn’t there or will take something out of context to make it mean whatever they want.

Christopher Thomas is a staff writer for the Daily News. To contact him, send an e-mail to christopher.thomas@jdnews.com.